System and method for level-shifting voltage signals using a dynamic level-shifting architecture
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A voltage shifting data transmission system, comprising:
- a static level-shifter having an input for a control signal within a first voltage domain and an output for a signal representing a strobe signal shifted to a second voltage domain;
a plurality of dynamic level-shifters, each having a first input coupled to the shifted strobe signal, a second input for a respective data signal within the first voltage domain, and an output for a signal representing the respective data signal shifted to the second voltage domain; and
an activity detector coupled to the data signals of the first voltage domain to block transition of the shifted strobe signal from the static level-shifter when the data signals are static.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method to level-shift multiple signals from a first voltage domain to a second voltage domain with minimized silicon area. A level-shifting system may be organized by implementing a static level-shifter coupled to a plurality of dynamic level-shifters. The static level-shifter may provide a voltage control signal for each of the dynamic level-shifters. Each of the dynamic level-shifters may level-shift an individual input signal from a first voltage domain to a second voltage domain.
13 Citations
15 Claims
-
1. A voltage shifting data transmission system, comprising:
-
a static level-shifter having an input for a control signal within a first voltage domain and an output for a signal representing a strobe signal shifted to a second voltage domain; a plurality of dynamic level-shifters, each having a first input coupled to the shifted strobe signal, a second input for a respective data signal within the first voltage domain, and an output for a signal representing the respective data signal shifted to the second voltage domain; and an activity detector coupled to the data signals of the first voltage domain to block transition of the shifted strobe signal from the static level-shifter when the data signals are static. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A circuit system, comprising:
-
a first integrated circuit having outputs coupled to the control inputs of a second integrated circuit and having internal processing logic operable in a first voltage domain, the first integrated circuit having an output system that comprises; a static level-shifter having an input for a strobe signal within the first voltage domain and an output for a signal representing the strobe signal shifted to the second voltage domain; a plurality of dynamic level-shifters, each having a first input coupled to the shifted strobe signal, a second input for a respective data signal within the first voltage domain, and an output for a signal representing the respective data signal shifted to the second voltage domain; and an activity detector coupled to the data signals of the first voltage domain to block transition of the shifted strobe signal from the static level-shifter when the data signals are static; wherein the second integrated circuit having inputs for a plurality of data signals, the inputs operable in the second voltage domain. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A method of converting data signals from a first voltage domain to a second voltage domain, comprising:
-
shifting a control strobe from the first voltage domain to the second voltage domain, during a reset period of the control strobe, resetting a plurality of dynamic level shifters, during an active period of the control strobe, shifting data signals input to the dynamic levels shifters from the first voltage domain to the second voltage domain, determining whether data signals input to the dynamic level shifters have changed between a first active period and a second active period, and if the data signals have not changed, blocking propagation of a reset period of the control strobe. - View Dependent Claims (15)
-
Specification